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Rachel Maddow back on MSNBC tonight after two-week absence

Just as fans were starting to get worried, Rachael Maddow emerged from a nearly two-week absence.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow will return to her show Tuesday night after missing nearly 2 weeks due to a undisclosed illness.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow will return to her show Tuesday night after missing nearly 2 weeks due to a undisclosed illness.Read moreAP File Photo
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

On Tuesday, MSNBC announced its live coverage plan for Thursday's highly anticipated coverage of fired FBI Director James Comey's testimony and there was a noticeable omission — Rachel Maddow.

Maddow, one of the network's biggest stars, has historically co-anchored MSNBC's big coverage events, most recently alongside former NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams. But on Thursday, Williams will instead be joined by NBC News correspondent Nicolle Wallace.

In a June 2 tweet, Maddow indicated that she was ill, noting that she was "doped to the gills and still flat-on-my-back sick." But on Tuesday, the 44-year-old host said on Twitter she's returning to her program tonight.

Maddow has been absent from her popular MSNBC show since May 25, and other than calling in to speak to fill-in host Ari Melber on June 2, little has been seen or heard from her. She's also been uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter, sending just one tweet to her 7.56 million followers since May 26.

The absence came as Maddow has soared in the ratings, leading MSNBC to its first monthly prime-time cable news ratings win in the critical 25-to-54 age demographic in 17 years.